Rugby School's Pointon brothers hoping to emulate Lièvremont brothers

Do the best rugby-playing packages come in sets of brothers? In threes? Or
even greater numbers?

By Gareth A Davies

11:33PM GMT 11 Jan 2010

Six Vyvyan brothers, including Hugh Vyvyan, the current England and Saracens forward, once turned out together in a sevens team, as did the Lièvremont brothers, Marc, Thomas and Matthieu, in France.

At some point, the Pointon brothers, Ben, 14, Sam, 16, and Ed, 18, all pupils at Rugby School, may have to switch positions if they are to play together: they all play scrum-half in different year group teams at the Warwickshire establishment, where the oval ball game has its roots.

Ben and Sam Pointon, both sports scholars, look to have a fine future in the sport, and are both involved in Northampton Saints’ elite junior set-up, while Sam and Ed have also represented Oxfordshire. “Ben and Sam are outstanding all-round sportsmen, while Ed had a successful year in the school First XV. The way it is heading, it looks as if we will have a Pointon as scrum-half in the First XV for the next five years,” said Simon Brown, director of boys’ games at Rugby.

King’s School, Grantham, have an even more remarkable group of brothers in their Year 7 A, XV rugby team, with triplets in the backs and triplets in the front row. Elliot, Jack and Oliver Hutchinson form the family front row. “It is quite a sight to behold when the pack scrums down, because the Hutchinsons are identical triplets,” explained Nathan Whales, head of physical education at the grammar school.

The other triplets, the Slacks – Callum, Jordan and Connor – have been a great success in the back line. Having come together in September, when they were enrolled for their first year at King’s, the boys Under-12 side have thus far played four, won four, their notable scalps including Nottingham High School and Lincoln Minster.

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“I coach around eight to 10 of the squad at Newark RUFC, and there is a definite potential about some of these boys which bodes extremely well for the future of English rugby,” explained proud father Lee Slack.

At The Oratory School, south Oxfordshire, three unbeaten teams have been punching above their weight. The 1st XV, and the Under-15 A and B teams ended a year in which two former pupils were called up to play for England – on the 150th anniversary of the founding of the school. No doubt they were spurred on by the call-up of Old Oratorian, Ayoola Erinle, who was in the starting line-up for England’s Test match against New Zealand’s All Blacks. Erinle joined Dan Cipriani as the second pupil from The Oratory School to run out for the national side.